The cash-crunched city is shelling out $2.5 million to bail out struggling Broadway shows with a massive ticket-buy in the post-Sept. 11 slump.

“All the shows in these groups are losing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a week,” said Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers, which convinced the Giuliani administration to spend the cash.

The city Economic Development Corp. bought about 16,500 tickets for six floundering shows for the first three weeks of December, including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Contact” and “Hedda Gabler.”

The tickets, worth a total of $220,000, were given to World Trade Center rescue workers, city workers involved in ground zero operations, and victims’ families.

The EDC has purchased about 34,000 more tickets for January and February shows for a promotion run by NYC & Co., the city tourism board. All told, the city committed to buying 50,000 tickets at $50 each.

The Broadway bailout comes at a time when city-funded cultural groups are facing budget cuts of 15 to 19 percent, as well as dwindling donations and ticket sales.

Janet Schneider, executive director of the Cultural Institution Group, said she hopes the cash infusion is a sign the city is paying attention to embattled arts groups.

“Many, many of our organizations are right at the brink,” said Schneider, whose organization represents 34 cultural groups housed in city buildings.

“We’re hoping the recognition of the severity of the situation will extend to the not-for-profit sector as well, and there may be a reduction of the cuts we’re facing,” Schneider said.

The bulk of the ducats will be given out in a NYC & Co. promotion next month called “Spend Your Regards to Broadway.” The promotion awards two free Broadway tickets to anyone who spends a total of $500 from Jan. 1 to 15 at New York restaurants, cultural institutions, retail stores and tourist attractions.

NYC & Co. President Cristyne Nicholas estimated the campaign will generate close to $10 million for the city’s anemic economy.

“Broadway is the number one tourist attraction for New York City and it also is a magnet and an engine for the rest of the tourism economy,” Nicholas said.